THE FORWARD PARTY: THE PALL MALL GAZETTE, 1865-1889 by ALLEN ROBERT ERNEST ...

187 Pages·2011·10.83 MB·English

'THE FORWARD PARTY: THE PALL MALL GAZETTE, 1865-1889
by
ALLEN ROBERT ERNEST ANDREWS
B.A., University of British Columbia, 1963
A THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF
THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF
MASTER OF ARTS
in the Department
of
History
We accept this thesis as conforming to the
required standard.
THE'UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA
June, 1Q68
In presenting this thesis in partial fulfilment of the requirements
for an advanced degree at the University of British Columbia, I agree
that the Library shall make it freely available for reference and
Study. I further agree that permission for extensive copying of this
thesis for scholarly purposes may be granted by the Head of my
Department or by h.ils representatives. It is understood that copying
or publication of this thesis for financial gain shall not be allowed
without my written permission.
Department of History
The University of British Columbia
Vancouver 8, Canada
Date June 17, 1968.
"... today's journalism is tomorrow's history."
- William Manchester
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Chapter Page
PREFACE viii
I. THE PALL MALL GAZETTE; 1865-1880 1
Origins of the P.M.G 1
The paper's early days 5"
The "Amateur Casual" 10
Greenwood's later paper . 11
Politics 16
Public acceptance of the P.M.G. . . . . .. 22
George Smith steps down as owner 2U
Conclusion 25
II. NEW MANAGEMENT 26
III. JOHN MORLEY'S PALL MALL h$
General tone • U5>
Politics 51
Conclusion 66
IV. WILLIAM STEAD: INFLUENCES THAT SHAPED HIM . . . 69
i i i.
V. THE "NEW JOURNALISM" 86
VI. POLITICS . 96
Introduction 96
Political program 97
Policy in early years 99
Campaigns: 188U-188^ and political repercussion -:-l°2
The Pall Mall opposes Gladstone's first Home Rule Bill. . . 1°9
The Irish coverage of the Pall Mall Gazette 113
The P.M.G. and collectivism 116
Defence of Socialists' rights of free speech 120
Colonial and external policy. 123
Conclusion. «
VII. "SOCIAL POLITICS" 132
General social emphasis . . . . .. 132
The Pall Mall's implicit program of social regeneration . . 135
Education . . . .;
135
The land question 136
Emigration. • 138
Urban problems 138
The condition of labor lUil
The woman problem lU6
The "New Unionism" lU8
Miscellaneous social problems 150
iv.
The P.M.G. acts as a venue for the "wise ones" 15>1
Conclusion <•<>.. • 153
VIII. CONCLUSION 155
BIBLIOGRAPHY l63
ABSTRACT
A number of books deal with the subject of the Pall Mall Gazette, but
none attempts to study in a scholarly way the journalistic, commercial and pol
itical evolution of this evening newspaper and review. Neither does the paper
receive consideration In most of the official biographies and more common pol
itical works that deal with its age, even though the P.M.G. often exerted an
influence second only to that of The Times. In addition, the P.M.G. during its
first twenty-four years provided a notable and continuous experiment in journal
ism.
This study examines the Pall Mall through its first three editorships that
extended from 1865 to 1889. Chapter I examines the journal under Frederick
Greenwood, editor from the journal's founding until 1880. During this time the
paper assumed a consciously impartial character which later gradually changed
to a conservative coloration, though Greenwood never became a strict party man.
Chapters II and III study the journal in the Radical garb it assumed during the
editorship of John Morley, between 1880 and 1883. Chapters IV to VII are de
voted to the Liberal-Radical "New Journalism" of William Thomas Stead, and Chap
ter VIII concludes. With the exception of Greenwood's editorship, for which
material has been compiled from numerous memoirs and secondary works, the study
draws its materials mainly from the daily record of the newspaper itself. Par
ticular care has beenttaken to identify both permanent staff as well as contri
butors during the successive editorships and to relate them to the character of
the paper. This activity has met with a good degree of success despite the fact
vi.
that the paper's official files are'.lacking. The relation of the journal to
other newspapers as well as to party thought are points that receive special
attention, especially for the later editorships. The main emphasis remains on
politics, but a general attempt is made in addition to relate the entire char
acter of the journal to such a focus. Thus the ever-present literary ingredient
is examined at some length. Finally, where monographic studies exist of given
"crusades" undertaken during Stead's famous editorship, little attempt is made
to retrace well-trodden ground.
The present study makes a number of points about the various editorships
of the paper. The pioneering work of Greenwood to establish the journalistic
vehicle upon which Stead in turn built his "New Journalism," as well as the
former's work to establish a strong tradition of independent journalism, are
points that receive special emphasis. The study also stresses the "watershed"
effect of Morley's short innings. His prestige and recruitment of staff aided
the paper's recovery following its change of political banner, and girded it
with inherent strengths upon which Stead both drew and built. Under Morley the
P.M.G. became recognized as the ablest supporter of Liberalism among the press.
It also directly abetted the rise of the Radical leader, Joseph Chamberlain.
The most impressive editorship remained that of Stead's, during which the paper
succeeded in its efforts to revive the power of the press and attempted to es
tablish its editor's aspiration of "Government by Journalism." In this way,
the paper both preceded as well as guided investigation and legislation on many
occasions to right outstanding social abuses. Concurrently, Stead's Pall Mall
served as a means of educating the upper classes in many of the philosophies
and movements that characterized the 'eighties, and that included Socialism in
its various manifestations, the women's movement and the work of manifold secu-
vii.
lar arid religious organizations. The paper also attempted to exert a seminal
influence upon Liberal thought, particularly in relation to imperialism and in
ternationalism, and to a lesser extent, the question of Ireland. The P.M.G.
actively promoted programs in these fields in a number of instances. At all
times the paper served as both bell-weather and friendly centre to the Liberal
party. It was made all the more effective since it was the only newspaper of
Liberal sentiment in the Metropolis that led active crusades. Its spirit direct
ly reflected the moral ideals of its mentor, and was conspicuously broad, liber
al and humanitarian. While Stead's P.M.G. lasted, it was a remarkable example
of much that was vital and admirable in late-Victorian Liberalism. Despite such
a colorful and influential history, the P.M.G. remained for the period of this
study an uneconomic undertaking. This factor provided the motivation from which
derived the paper's multitude of distinctive advances in journalistic technique.
PREFACE
George Murray Smith, the founder of the Sail Mall Gazette, once expres
sed the opinion that during the 1880's his journal exerted an influence as a
1
newspaper of opinion on occasion second only to that exerted by The Times.
His judgement cannot be piputed entirely to the bias of OTnership as he had
given up control of the paper in 1880. Yet, the "P.M.G.," as its staff and
friends called it, has yet to receive from scholars attention commensurate
with the exalted position it enjoyed as a maker and reporter of opinion.
The first lengthy study of the Pall Mall occupies a not inconsiderable
portion of the first volume of Frederic Mbyte's The Life of W.T. Stead (1925).
More recently, J.W. Robertson Scott, a former member of ^hh P.M.G. editorial
staff, and retired editor of the Countryman, devoted the years just before* bis
death to bringing forth his two works on the newspaper, TKe Storyaof the Pall
Mall Gazette (1950) and The Life and Death of a Newspaper (1952). Thesefworks
exhaust this rich field neither individually norfcollectively. Whyte's treat
ment of the P.M.G., though extensive, deals mainly with Stead and pursues the
limited aim of relating the paper to the "New Journalism" of the 'eighties.
Of necessity, he devotes much attention to the more provoking of the paper's
varied crusades, especially those of "Gordon," the""Truth about the Navy.','"and
the "Maiden Tribute," to each of which he devotes a separate chapter. He also
enumerates Stead's "planks" in the P.M.G.'s platform, but does not trace them
j. .
1 J.W. Robertson Scott, The Story of the Pall Mall Gazette, p. li|0.